Canadians, Guardsmen forge lasting partnership

Photo By Sgt. Crystal Reidy | Arizona Army National Guardsmen from the 158 Combat Sustainment Support Battalion complete a PMCS, or preventive maintenance checks and services, inspections on a Humvee during a preparatory training exercise, here, April 8 - 10. The Arizona National Guard has partnered with Canadian Army and Air Force members since 2011, exchanging information and developed partnerships for the purpose of fostering mutual interests and long-term relationships.  

TUCSON, AZ, UNITED STATES

04.10.2016

Story by Sgt. Crystal Reidy 

Arizona National Guard Public Affairs

The Arizona National Guard has partnered with Canadian armed forces since 2011, exchanging information and developing partnerships for the purpose of fostering mutual interests and long-term relationships.
“The partnership training is in preparation for Cougar Defender, a large summer exercise, which both the Canadian military and the Arizona Army National Guard will provide direct sustainment and support to a brigade size element fighting a force-on-force conflict,” said Lt. Col. Eric Schroeder, 158 Combat Sustainment Support Battalion commander.

The 72-hour exercise integrated the 39th Service Battalion in order to familiarize Canadians and Guardsmen with each other in preparation for future operations. Maj. Frederick Dennis, operations officer with the 39th Service Battalion, Canada, said Soldiers from the two countries drove in the same vehicles, slept in the same tents and did everything together.
“The combined exercise is about building relationships and learning the same terminology when conducting future combined operations,” Dennis said. “If they are talking wrenches they are talking about the same wrenches, if they are ordering food they will be speaking the same supply terms.”

Schroeder said training partnerships with the Canadians increases overall capabilities by introducing subject matter experts from both countries. Noncommissioned officers and commissioned officers have to become all knowing in order to teach their Canadian counterparts.
“I felt very welcomed, and everyone is helpful in sharing knowledge.” said Sgt Wayne Lysholm, one of the 30 Canadians who came to Arizona for the training mission. “The exercise is going quite smoothly. We are finding a lot of the systems, and the ways we do things are very similar.”
Schroeder said, in the past, the U.S. participated in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and fought alongside our allies. In the future, U.S. servicemembers will fight alongside U.S. allies as members in coalitions.
“Partnership training improves our relationships with allies and increases our operability, so when the call does come in to work with coalition forces -- we are ready,” Schroeder said.

• Date Taken: 04.10.2016
• Date Posted: 04.10.2016 14:37
• Story ID: 194946
• Location: TUCSON, AZ, US